Common Ground Updates: COVID-19 Response and Washington High School Campaign Update
We hope that you and yours are safe and well during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Common Ground continues to work hard. We’ve had to adjust our operations. Since March 16 we’ve done all of our meetings via phone or video call. As a staff we are spending a lot of time checking in with pastors and key leaders to find out how they’re doing during this crisis and what issues they’re hearing about from their people. The Strategy Team has been meeting more frequently to discuss the crisis and ways we can respond.
COVID-19 Response
Supporting Our Congregations
We are focusing on supporting our congregations during this crisis. A number of our clergy and leaders attended online Metro IAF workshops on "Stabilizing and Strengthening Giving During a Crisis" and "Congregational Finances During Uncertain Times." We are doing a Zoom meeting with CG Lead Clergy on Thursday to talk more about supporting them and their congregations as well as relating to their members and listening for actionable issues and leaders. One of our churches experienced a racist cyber-attack during their Sunday service. We helped them learn how to prevent future attacks. Here is an article about "Zoom-bombing" that you may find helpful in protecting your Zoom meetings or services from cyber-attacks.
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act)
We are researching the $2 Trillion COVID-19 CARES Act that was passed late last week.
How can it help our congregations?
1) If a congregation lays off an employee, is the employee eligible for unemployment?
2) It seems that congregations can apply for forgivable small business loans. How much? What are the exact terms and conditions for forgiving?
How could it help sustain Common Ground?
How do we help our people access the benefits?
Does it create opportunities for action?
Education During COVID-19
We have organized a CG Education Team to research how Milwaukee Public Schools and other schools are providing services to students and families during this crisis. We spoke with At-Large School Board Director Bob Peterson last Thursday to ask about having all teachers call their students to check-in with them and their families. We also asked him if there are plans underway for transitioning from "optional enrichment" to online learning for ALL students. As many suburban, private, parochial, and other large urban districts implement online learning, we want to make sure MPS kids are not left behind.
GOTV
We are still planning to do a big GOTV effort for the November election, even though we’ve had to postpone the 900-person kick-off we had planned for March 29. We are modifying our GOTV plans and testing out software we might use for GOTV and organizing within our member organizations.
Washington High School –- Home Field Advantage
Common Ground and MPS agreed to hire Inspec, an engineering and architectural firm, to do the detailed design work for the WHS renovations. One of our leaders spoke at the MPS School Board AFP Committee Hearing on February 25. She spoke in favor of awarding the contract to Inspec and the unique public-private partnership we have MPS on this project. The contract was awarded on February 27. Inspec has already begun work and presented initial design work for review by representatives of CG, MPS and WHS. Inspec’s cost estimate is $1.9 million. The good news is that there is room for a full-sized soccer field (larger than a football field) and a 400-meter track.
We also submitted a grant application for $195,000 to MMSD. MMSD is interested in supporting this field renovation because it has sound stormwater management engineered into the design. This renovation will be good not only for the students and the neighbors, but also the environment.